But, in the times gone by, our
ancestors saw through all of this and recognized that there was
another way. They discovered that in-order for man to elevate
himself above the level of the brown earth upon which he scrambled
he needed to alter his internal dialogue. Man needed to understand
himself and the forces that drive him.
This unique understanding - that
there could be a higher goal for mankind, whether collectively or
individually - evolved into what we now know as Gnosticism. Of
course this is a massive oversimplification and we should always
take into account the mystics those who have experienced what we
would call other-worldly emotions or visions. Also, regardless of
popular perception, the Christian’s were not the only Gnostics and
mystics. Gnostic comes from the Greek word gignoskein meaning simply
to know. It was applied to “one sect of so-called philosopher’s in
the first ages of Christianity.”
However, the term is now being
used more loosely and I personally see the term slightly differently
to others and probably in a controversial light.
To me the Greek term implies
all-knowledge. This is a kind of knowledge gained much like plugging
ones mind into the World Wide Web and being able to download every
single piece of data in an instant. In the same way, the true
Gnostic, much like the mystic, could understand all things in a
unique way. Whether this is the mind tapping into the collective
unconscious, the Akashic records, or any other name given to the
process, does not matter for the purpose of this article, the fact
remains, it was believed. And because of this belief, physical
manifestations of the internal belief system emerged the world over.
In this way, the temples of man, were exactly that Temples of Man.
Gnosis then, means knowledge of
the most esoteric kind and this is the story that has been hidden
from our eyes for too long. This is the truth of the secret
societies that we on the outside are supposedly too worldly to
comprehend.
The Temple
So, let us now try our best to
comprehend the Temple of Solomon and in doing so, let us walk upon
Holy ground, trodden only by the initiated.
In the years of my own searching
there were times when I would be found at the feet of the Magi,
sitting and listening to the wise words of the Sufi, joining in the
debate at some Freemasonic Lodge. All the time I was learning and
viewing the process with an open ear and an open eye, and yet also
balancing it all with the knowledge of modern day science and
reductionism. Both worlds, the one of the esoteric and the one of
science are useless apart both are needed today if we are to truly
understand and believe.
And so down to facts about the
Temple of Solomon. Well, unfortunately we are sadly lacking in any
archaeological evidence, regardless of what you read on some literal
fundamentalist website. What we are told is that in the 10th century
BC, the wise King Solomon erected a great Temple to the Lord.
Unfortunately, if any of this is true, then we actually find that it
was a Temple, which encompassed many pagan religions.
According to Professor James
Pritchard in his book, Solomon and Sheba (1974, p.35):
“.. the so-called cities of
Megiddo, Gezer and Hazor, and Jerusalem itself were in reality more
like villages.. Within were relatively small public buildings and
poorly constructed dwellings with clay floors. The objects reveal a
material culture which, even by the standards of the ancient Near
East, could not be judged sophisticated or luxurious.. The
‘magnificence’ of the age of Solomon is parochial and decidedly
lackluster, but the first book of Kings implies exactly the
opposite.”
In fact and in the bright light
of day, what we actually have, and what most writers are afraid to
say, is no evidence whatsoever for Solomon’s Temple. In fact, we
have no evidence for Solomon, other than these peculiar Biblical
texts. Neither do we have any evidence for the Queen of Sheba, nor
any of the other characters involved. Instead, there is more depth
than could ever be imagined, more meaning than we would dare to
believe.
John Michell in The Temple at
Jerusalem: A Revelation, (Gothic Image) gives us an insight to the
real meaning.
“Legends of the Temple describe
it as the instrument of a mystical, priestly science, a form of
alchemy by which oppositely charged elements in the earth and
atmosphere were brought together and ritually married. The product
of their union was a spirit that blessed and sanctified the people
of Israel.”
How right Michell is. The Temple
is an instrument of mystical and priestly science or even magic. The
secret unravels before our eyes the more we learn. You see the true
Gnostic, the true disciple or perfect one, must be a man or woman of
balance. He or she must unite the two sides of the mind, the male
and female principles as they are called. We are all both male and
female and the alchemists used this concept of balance and revealed
it in their images of the Hermaphrodite, half man and half woman.
Solomon was no real man, and
Sheba was no real woman. Instead they were symbols of this internal
and often external process. The whole story of Solomon, Sheba and
the Temple, which is the perfectly formed body, both physical and
spiritual, is the story of our own psyche. It is an esoteric truth,
misunderstood in its exoteric form.
Hiram
Hiram was the son of a Jewish
mother and a Phoenician father and is credited with the decoration
of the Temple of Solomon. He was said to have been the “son of a
widow of the tribe of Naphtali… He cast two bronze pillars” 1 Kings
7:13-15.
We must also note something of
interest mentioned in 1 Kings 16:
“Then he made two capitals of
cast bronze, to set on top of the pillars. The height of one capital
was 5 cubits; and the height of the other capital was five cubits.
He made a lattice network, with wreaths of chainwork, for the
capitals which were on top of the pillars: seven chains for one
capital and seven for the other capital.”
These pillars became known as
Jachin, meaning “he establishes” and Boaz, which means “in him is
strength” and these are now familiar to most modern Freemasons as
central to their own Lodge or Temple. Copies of these can be clearly
seen at the infamous Rosslyn Chapel as we shall discover.
But, what is interesting here is
the original text about these pillars. Firstly bronze is used for
the capitals, just as bronze is used for the “Brazen Serpent” of
Moses and is indicative of the fiery aspect of the serpent as one of
the channels in the Kundalini process. Their “heights” were 5
cubits, matching the five hooded cobras seen across India and atop
many pillars, although the Bible calls them Lilies, which are
symbols of balance anyway.
Leading up to these capitals
then were “wreaths” of “chainwork”, seven on each pillar. Strangely
these chains were “for the capitals,” and so we conclude that these
seven levelled chains (coils) were pointing towards the head
(capital) just as the serpents of the Kundalini do.
There are more real links
between Hiram and the serpent. For instance, we noted above that he
was of the Tribe of Naphtali. The standard of the Tribe of Naphtali,
according to Jewish tradition, is a serpent or basilisk and this
could have come from Egyptian origins, as Jewish tradition states
that Naphtali was the brother of Joseph, chosen to represent the
family to Pharaoh.
“And now I have sent a skillful
man, endowed with understanding, Huram [Hiram] my master [father]
craftsman, (the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his
father was a man of Tyre), skilled to work in gold and silver,
bronze and iron, stone and wood, purple and blue, fine linen and
crimson, and to make any engraving and to accomplish any plan which
may be given to him, with your skilful men and with the skilful men
of my lord David your father.” 2 Chronicles 2:13-14.
Here, Hiram is said to be a son
of the Tribe of Dan and even the tribe of Dan had an emblem, which
was amazingly also the serpent, this time with a horse.
Incredibly there is also a
hidden truth and repetitive pattern in this little statement about
the real skills of this literary character. Follow this pattern:
Hiram is skilled in:
1 gold and silver
2 bronze and iron
3 stone and wood
4 purple and blue
5 fine linen and crimson
6 to make any engraving
7 to accomplish any plan which
may be given to him.
Note that there are seven
‘balanced’ elements to the skill of the man who will build the
Temple! This is a real clue to the Temple’s secret indeed.
According to this book of
Chronicles Hiram was a cunning man (a word used for the serpent)
endued with understanding, skilful as we can see in the work of
gold, silver, brass, stone and timber. But he was also credited with
certain tools, which could pierce stone. Stone, as I show in Gnosis
is symbolic of wisdom and foundation. Hiram’s tool therefore pierced
the veil or even the very root of wisdom.
According to the book of Kings
the Temple was built of stone (or wisdom) before it was brought to
the site. Something like a prefabricated building. It was said by
tradition that neither hammer nor axe, nor any tool of iron was used
in the building. So how was it built? This in itself is a paradox,
which can only be answered by the true secret of the Temple being
revealed.
According to Rabbinical teaching
the prefabrication of the Temple was performed by the Shamir, a
giant worm or serpent that could cut stones (incidentally worm means
serpent). Not dissimilar to Norse and Celtic beliefs where Valhalla
and Camelot were built with the fire of the dragon and in China
where building is aided by the serpent energy.
This is a universal concept as
can be seen in India, where it was the serpentine linked Naga’s of
fable who escaped their country and took the architectural wisdom
abroad. The architect gods, such as Thoth of Egypt, are linked
strongly with the serpent wisdom because they are linked with the
building of “Temples of Wisdom” inside our SELVES.
The Shamir, according to one
legend had even been placed in the hands of the Prince of the Sea (Shamir
by Wilhelm Bacher & Ludwig Blau), which of course is symbolic of the
Prince of Wisdom.
In essence what we really have
here is the Temple of Wisdom being built by the serpent and that
serpent is none other than that of, or similar to, the internal
Kundalini, later to be developed into the Kabbalah. This is a
psychological training manual; a method of self-improvement; a way
for society to become One; a multi-layered method of getting closer
to the deity which resides in each and everyone of us; a deity, that
the ancients saw as being the same in each of us.
The whole process repeats again
and again throughout the Bible. The Temple is reduced (like the
alchemical method) and is remade. Then again and again, until
finally the Christ is the Temple which is reduced (killed) and then
rises again for the last time. And now, according to the texts, we
can all meet with this Christ and we can all have the knowledge. We
just need to understand that the true Christ is all and in all. But
this hasn't worked has it. Man is still even now in the 21st
century, searching for answers and so the temple is being reduced
once again……
I say, we should all take a look
at our own "temples" and knock them to the ground. We should then go
about re-building them in a bigger and better way than before, just
like the Bible states. And more than that, we must keep on doing
this until this world of ours has peace and all truly are equal
before God….
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